Thomas Partey and Declan Rice exchanged handshakes before England vs Ghana. Djed Spence also lined up in a protective mask after a broken jaw, which gave the fixture a more personal feel than a standard group game.

Partey's return to the frame

Partey missed Ghana's opener against Panama after being denied entry into Canada over a visa application issue. Before this fixture, he was back in the spotlight and told football.london: "Well, I think it's a part of football. Things happen outside football that you cannot control. So for me now, I feel OK and I'm ready to play."

He also sounded relaxed about the reunion with England players. "I'm really happy to see them again," Partey said. "I hope they're going to bring their best and try to give us the opportunity to play against the best and try to compete and enjoy the game."

Rice was just as open about the connection. "As you mentioned Thomas, I've played with him at Arsenal, he's a really good player," he told football.london. "I've also played against many of the Ghana team and from the clips we've studied, I know what they're going to bring: strength, pace and the counter-attack."

Rice’s recent World Cup rating was 6.9, and he played 72 minutes against Croatia, so he arrived into this game in solid shape rather than being eased in carefully. England beat Croatia in their opener, and Ghana came into Tuesday's match second in Group L with 3 points and a +1 goal difference.

Spence's mask adds another subplot

Spence's involvement brought a different kind of detail. He wore a protective mask around his chin after suffering a broken jaw in May, and the mask had already appeared in Tottenham's final game of the season against Everton.

He said the injury still has a long way to go. "It is a little bit uncomfortable – but it is what it is. I have a broken jaw so I have to wear it throughout the tournament. It will be three months until it is fully healed, so it is a long time. It was a crazy challenge, but it is in the past now. I've just got to focus on this tournament now," Spence told Metro.

Spence’s recent World Cup rating was 6.2 and he played 14 minutes against Croatia, which suggests England have been using him sparingly while the tournament goes on. That leaves England with a useful depth option, while Ghana can still point to their strong start and the challenge of facing opponents with more than just qualification points on the line.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →